Some times when I am up at 0300 in the morning working on a problem set for my major Civil Engineering I wonder why I am here, why I put myself through all of this. Then I remember why I decided to apply to this school, why I raised my right hand on R-Day, why I did not give up plebe or yuk year, why I went to class on the first day of cow year, and why I am dedicated to doing my best no matter who painful it is. I do it because I want to lead men and women. I do it because I said I want to serve my country and stand up and lead those who are in the line of fire everyday protection the innocent.
I see West Point as a giant leadership laboratory a place where you can try out different leadership ideas and theories in a attempt to figure out what type of leader you are. The purpose of West Point is develop leaders of Character. There are other hard school in the nation and around the world but there are no other schools in America that have as rigorous an academic load coupled with high military demands along with high physical requirements and demands. The sum total effect of this is that at the end of four years here you as a leader have been in numerous leadership positions under extreme amounts of stress and have understood how to survive and thrive under those conditions.
YES, Sometimes I wonder why I am here at West Point going through these painful times but I never hate this place or wish I was somewhere else. I do not understand people here who have a bad attitude and view this place as a burden and a bunch of BS. For the first thing they volunteered to come here and volunteered to stay so they can leave when they want. The people who complain do not see the bigger picture and truly understand why they are here and what the purpose of the academy really is. I feel sad for these people sometimes because I see so clearly what I the purpose and why I am here and why and how these four hears of tough times has changed me and developed me into a leader I think I ready to face the challenges of real world leadership.
The attitude you go into anything with will determine how much you get out of it. You can go into a sucky situation with a great attitude open to learning and bettering yourself and you will learn a lot and grow. However you can go into an amazing situation with a bad attitude and you will learn nothing. Because you have closed yourself off to any benefit that you might have gathered.
Every day when you wake up your attitude is the only thing that you decide. You cannot effect how the days goes or what happens but you can decide to have a good attitude and to be joyful in the life that God has given you or you can have a bad attitude closed off to the world and at seeing the beauty of God’s creation and the situations you are placed in.
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